Scores of electricity consumers in Ketu South took to the streets to protest against what they describe as “unacceptable billing practices” by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). The demonstrators voiced their frustrations over issues including overbilling, inaccurate estimations, and unlawful disconnections, demanding immediate action from the power distributor to “fix the killer bills.”

The protest, held on Wednesday, was heavily policed as demonstrators marched from Victoria Park in Aflao to Denu, near the ECG office. Clad in red, the protestors carried placards with messages such as “Withdraw Your Billing Software,” “A Bill of GH¢729,637.60 for a Provision Store,” “Daylight Robbery,” and “Denu ECG, Why Are You Maltreating Us?”

The demonstrators also brought along their “outrageous bills,” which they handed over to the Denu ECG Management along with a petition. The petition called on the company to urgently address the billing anomalies that have been causing significant financial strain on the community.

Madam Rejoice Adorsu, a middle-aged woman who struggled to walk, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that she joined the demonstration to express her frustration, saying, “I keep receiving outrageous bills and I don’t know how I’ll manage to pay them.”

Mr. Edem Viglo, who read the petition, emphasized that the purpose of installing energy meters was to measure actual electricity consumption, making it unreasonable for consumers to receive “outrageous bills in the name of Predictive or Estimated Bills.” The petition demanded that ECG halt the disconnection of customers with billing errors until those issues are resolved and called for a suspension or modification of the problematic billing software to ensure accurate meter readings.

The petition also requested that prepaid meters be made optional and called for an audit of meters in the areas under Denu ECG to address the issue of illegal meters in the system, which is reportedly causing significant revenue losses for the government.

Mr. Timothy Affrem, Manager of Denu ECG, received the petition and acknowledged the concerns of the demonstrators. He assured them that the company had already begun work to address the issues raised. In an earlier interview, Mr. Affrem acknowledged that there might be genuine concerns and encouraged customers to visit the office to lodge complaints for possible redress.

“We’re resolving it. Like the overbilling, for instance, we need evidence to show the bills are not correct. If a customer comes to the office with a complaint and it’s genuine, we’ll take steps to correct it,” Mr. Affrem said. “We’re not here to burden or oppress people. We’re here to help, and serve customers.”